Armed services still popular option for students who can make the grade

Air Force Sgt. Rita Vitela explains some of the programs offered by the military recently at the recruiting office in Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach to Dali Ramos, 23, left, and Taylor Jordan, 20. Jordan, a 2011 graduate of Mainland High School, was a member of the school's Air Force JROTC program and has always been interested in serving her country.

News-Journal/Peter Bauer

RAY WEISSSTAFF WRITER

Published: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 5:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 11:22 p.m.

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Facts

By the Numbers

The annual U.S. Department of Defense national recruitment statistics list the goal (first column) and how many men and women actually enlisted (second column) in recent years, as well as the percentage difference between the two.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Marcus Wiley counted pullups as a steady stream of University High School students stepped up to the bar at a recent military job fair.
Nearby, a fellow Marine recruiter stood at a table, encouraging the teenagers to fill out "lead cards" — forms with their contact information.
Many obliged.
With full-time jobs still scarce, especially for high school graduates, joining the military can be a viable option.
Wiley said that no matter if he's working a "small setup" or a major job fair at a school, interest in the armed forces continues to be strong.
But prospective recruits in 2013 are facing more competition as troop deployments in the Middle East are expected to decline as planned. The total number of enlistees from all branches of the service dropped almost 40,000 last year compared to 2001.
"For the Marine Corps, the standards are going up. It's getting stricter," Wiley said. "You need physical fitness, mental toughness and you need to be committed."
Marcus Sabo, 18, of Orange City, said he has all the necessary qualities to become a Marine after graduating high school in June.
"I've always wanted to do it. I don't see myself going to college. It's not for me," said Sabo, a senior who played football at the Orange City high school. "I was sold on the Marines back when I was a sophomore — just the challenge of it."
Sabo is among many high school seniors planning to join the military after graduation.
Recruitment through November 2012 for the four major branches of the service met or exceeded goals for both active duty and the reserves, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Only the Army National Guard (93 percent) and Air National Guard (88 percent) fell below expectations.
A weak economy continues to be a major factor for high school graduates. The starting salary for a recruit in basic training is $1,402 a month with meals, housing and health care covered.
"The youth unemployment rate remains relatively high and as a result more individuals have considered military service," said Cynthia O. Smith, a Department of Defense spokeswoman. "This increase in interest creates a larger pool of applicants for the services to recruit from and allows them to select individuals with the greatest potential to succeed."
She said only 25 percent of applicants qualify for enlistment, adding that Florida historically has provided "more than its fair share of new recruits" — 7.6 percent of the country's 18- to 24-year-old men and women who joined in 2011, the most recent figures.
Kathleen Welker, a national spokeswoman for Army recruiting, said with the end of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan campaign drawing down, the military can be more selective with recruits. The Armed Forces Qualification Test taken before enlisting is more critical than ever.
"Those test scores are crucial for every job," she said. "The best fields require the highest scores, like medical fields."
Welker said interest and enlistment in the Army has been consistent in recent years, still driven in part by a struggling economy.
"But the No. 1 reason given in a poll we give is they want to do something for their country. Patriotism," she said of recruits. "This generation somewhat emulates the characteristics of the Greatest Generation — the WWII vets. There's a love of country."
Tyler Smiley, a 19-year-old junior from Orange City, wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, a soldier who landed in Normandy on D-Day.
"I always wanted to follow what my grandpa did since I was a little kid," Smiley said, either joining the Army or Marines.
But these days enlistment requires more than mere interest.
Robert Thompson, a Navy recruiter in Volusia County, said recruits must have at least a high school degree — 99.6 percent do.
"The standards are tougher and tougher to get in now than a few years ago," he said. "Out of every 500 seniors we talk to, we'll probably enlist five."
Jordan Mack, 18, another senior at University High School, considered the Navy, but said he "can't deal with a boat." So he's leaning toward the Army after graduation. Having the military help pay for college in the future was one factor in his decision. So is the changing political position of the United States in the Middle East.
"The whole reason I'm considering it (joining) is because the war is winding down," he said.
No matter the potential hot spots in the world, Timothy Logan, 19, of Orange City couldn't wait to join the Army. Graduation is still a few months off, but he enlisted in the Army last year while living in Missouri.
"I thought about it for a while and made the decision. I just thought it was the right thing to do," said Logan, who expects to be working on communication equipment in the Army. "Going in will also pay for college. Otherwise, I'd have to get a lot of loans I can't afford."
Natalie Crisan, 17, another senior, wants to obtain her nursing degree before possibly going into the National Guard.
"And with the military, I can continue with college," she said. "My dad is retired Army. He was career. He really doesn't want me to go. But the benefits are good, and I grew up with it."
But not all recruiting is geared toward finding enlisted men and women.
Many colleges offer ROTC incentives for college-bound students. Tuition costs are a major factor that retired Army Lt. Col. Oakland McCullough, who runs the ROTC program at Stetson University, sees as motivation when young people sign up.
"With the economy, they know there are not a lot of jobs out there, even with a college degree," he said.
After completing four years of ROTC, McCullough said a graduate can "walk off campus" as a second lieutenant making $43,000 a year.
He said that's after the Army picked up $51,000 a year in tuition, $1,200 for books and paid a monthly stipend of between $300 and $500. Room and board is covered by the university, he said.
In return, an ROTC graduate has an eight-year commitment to the Army — at least four of which is active duty.
"It's an option in this economy," McCullough said. "There isn't a better scholarship."
But with the changing military climate, he added: "They're getting harder to get as the Army needs less officers and there are budget cuts to scholarships. There's more competition."

<div class="art_item art_item_inset art_item_facts">
<h3>Facts</h3>
<h4>By the Numbers</h4>
<p>The annual U.S. Department of Defense national recruitment statistics list the goal (first column) and how many men and women actually enlisted (second column) in recent years, as well as the percentage difference between the two.<br><br>&bull; 2001: 195,324 196,712 101 percent<br>&bull; 2005: 169,452 163,259 96 percent<br>&bull; 2009: 163,880 168,968 103 percent<br>&bull; 2011: 155,665 155,754 100 percent<br>&bull; 2012: 153,812 156,370 102 percent</p>
</div>
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Marcus Wiley counted pullups as a steady stream of University High School students stepped up to the bar at a recent military job fair.
Nearby, a fellow Marine recruiter stood at a table, encouraging the teenagers to fill out "lead cards" — forms with their contact information.
Many obliged.
With full-time jobs still scarce, especially for high school graduates, joining the military can be a viable option.
Wiley said that no matter if he's working a "small setup" or a major job fair at a school, interest in the armed forces continues to be strong.
But prospective recruits in 2013 are facing more competition as troop deployments in the Middle East are expected to decline as planned. The total number of enlistees from all branches of the service dropped almost 40,000 last year compared to 2001.
"For the Marine Corps, the standards are going up. It's getting stricter," Wiley said. "You need physical fitness, mental toughness and you need to be committed."
Marcus Sabo, 18, of Orange City, said he has all the necessary qualities to become a Marine after graduating high school in June.
"I've always wanted to do it. I don't see myself going to college. It's not for me," said Sabo, a senior who played football at the Orange City high school. "I was sold on the Marines back when I was a sophomore — just the challenge of it."
Sabo is among many high school seniors planning to join the military after graduation.
Recruitment through November 2012 for the four major branches of the service met or exceeded goals for both active duty and the reserves, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Only the Army National Guard (93 percent) and Air National Guard (88 percent) fell below expectations.
A weak economy continues to be a major factor for high school graduates. The starting salary for a recruit in basic training is $1,402 a month with meals, housing and health care covered.
"The youth unemployment rate remains relatively high and as a result more individuals have considered military service," said Cynthia O. Smith, a Department of Defense spokeswoman. "This increase in interest creates a larger pool of applicants for the services to recruit from and allows them to select individuals with the greatest potential to succeed."
She said only 25 percent of applicants qualify for enlistment, adding that Florida historically has provided "more than its fair share of new recruits" — 7.6 percent of the country's 18- to 24-year-old men and women who joined in 2011, the most recent figures.
Kathleen Welker, a national spokeswoman for Army recruiting, said with the end of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan campaign drawing down, the military can be more selective with recruits. The Armed Forces Qualification Test taken before enlisting is more critical than ever.
"Those test scores are crucial for every job," she said. "The best fields require the highest scores, like medical fields."
Welker said interest and enlistment in the Army has been consistent in recent years, still driven in part by a struggling economy.
"But the No. 1 reason given in a poll we give is they want to do something for their country. Patriotism," she said of recruits. "This generation somewhat emulates the characteristics of the Greatest Generation — the WWII vets. There's a love of country."
Tyler Smiley, a 19-year-old junior from Orange City, wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, a soldier who landed in Normandy on D-Day.
"I always wanted to follow what my grandpa did since I was a little kid," Smiley said, either joining the Army or Marines.
But these days enlistment requires more than mere interest.
Robert Thompson, a Navy recruiter in Volusia County, said recruits must have at least a high school degree — 99.6 percent do.
"The standards are tougher and tougher to get in now than a few years ago," he said. "Out of every 500 seniors we talk to, we'll probably enlist five."
Jordan Mack, 18, another senior at University High School, considered the Navy, but said he "can't deal with a boat." So he's leaning toward the Army after graduation. Having the military help pay for college in the future was one factor in his decision. So is the changing political position of the United States in the Middle East.
"The whole reason I'm considering it (joining) is because the war is winding down," he said.
No matter the potential hot spots in the world, Timothy Logan, 19, of Orange City couldn't wait to join the Army. Graduation is still a few months off, but he enlisted in the Army last year while living in Missouri.
"I thought about it for a while and made the decision. I just thought it was the right thing to do," said Logan, who expects to be working on communication equipment in the Army. "Going in will also pay for college. Otherwise, I'd have to get a lot of loans I can't afford."
Natalie Crisan, 17, another senior, wants to obtain her nursing degree before possibly going into the National Guard.
"And with the military, I can continue with college," she said. "My dad is retired Army. He was career. He really doesn't want me to go. But the benefits are good, and I grew up with it."
But not all recruiting is geared toward finding enlisted men and women.
Many colleges offer ROTC incentives for college-bound students. Tuition costs are a major factor that retired Army Lt. Col. Oakland McCullough, who runs the ROTC program at Stetson University, sees as motivation when young people sign up.
"With the economy, they know there are not a lot of jobs out there, even with a college degree," he said.
After completing four years of ROTC, McCullough said a graduate can "walk off campus" as a second lieutenant making $43,000 a year.
He said that's after the Army picked up $51,000 a year in tuition, $1,200 for books and paid a monthly stipend of between $300 and $500. Room and board is covered by the university, he said.
In return, an ROTC graduate has an eight-year commitment to the Army — at least four of which is active duty.
"It's an option in this economy," McCullough said. "There isn't a better scholarship."
But with the changing military climate, he added: "They're getting harder to get as the Army needs less officers and there are budget cuts to scholarships. There's more competition."